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Should They Stay Or Should They Go?

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday afternoons. Free to do whatever the wife wants you to do for 2 whole months.

Now the dust has settled, I have decided it is time to take a look at the squad and see who I would like to keep, and attach my personal transfer value to each player.

No. Position Player

1 GK Allan McGregor Keep. £4m. Yes I know he has made errors but we will get far more goal-scoring opportunities in the Championship which will outweigh any errors – plus Harper has left, and McGregor is better keeper than most in the Championship.

4 DF Alex Bruce Indifferent. £500k. If we do lose Chester then he probably will be needed. A decent-enough back-up.

5 DF James Chester Keep. £12m. I’d like to hope that he would at least see out his contract here but will totally understand and support if he does leave.

6 DF Curtis Davies (captain) Indifferent. £3m. Something was up last year. Can he recapture his earlier form?

7 MF David Meyler Indifferent. £2m. A useful squad player but I’d like to see us playing more expensive football in the Championship and he doesn’t add to that.

8 MF Tom Huddlestone Indifferent. £5m. I cannot decide whether his lack of pace would hold us back in the Championship, or his excellent passing ability would tear teams apart. Will probably depend on which Tommy turns up. If we do sell, we need to get our money back.

9 FW Abel Hernández Indifferent. £6m. There is a player in there. He isn’t like Manucho or Prostzwich – he can score goals. But it needs coaching out of him. I really believe he has potential. Then again, so does Balotelli. I’d take a loss against him.

10 MF Robert Snodgrass Indifferent. £8m. Nobody will buy him but I’m unable to judge his worth given his distinct lack of game time.

11 MF Robbie Brady Keep. £15m. This man is indispensable. The form he was in late last season could tear apart the Championship. He really is coming of age. And we might need him up front.

12 DF Harry Maguire Keep. £5m. We haven’t seen enough of him, but the Championship may be idea to blood him in, he certainly has talent.

14 MF Jake Livermore Keep. £8m. Yes I said keep. I seriously hope we are not paying him for the next two years but the boy needs an arm around his shoulder and we should give him the opportunity to sort it out. Everyone makes a mistake and he is no Jimmy Bullard.

23 MF Tom Ince Keep. £8m. We’ve seen just how good this kid is in the Championship for Derby and Blackpool. As long as Bruce manages him right, then he could be one of our most important attacking players.

24 FW Sone Aluko Keep. £3m. If our 3 main strikes leave, which is fairly likely, we will need Aluko. He can play in the Championship – scoring 8 in 22 games last time. Will get injured but a very useful player at that level.

26 DF Andrew Robertson Keep. £15m. I’d take a ridiculous offer for him but now is the time for him to learn the art of defending, along with his blistering runs, whilst the lesser opposition gives him chance to hone his game.

27 MF Ahmed Elmohamady Indifferent. £2m. Surely Snodgrass and Ince should be playing ahead of him for creativity reasons? I greatly admire his spirit but do feel we have better options.

28 FW Dame N’Doye Go. £1m. Get rid. Scored a couple but clearly has no interest in playing at the lower level.

29 MF Stephen Quinn Indifferent. £500k. I don’t see in him what others do. Perhaps Championship is his level though.

31 DF Brian Lenihan I don’t know enough about him.

35 GK Rory Watson Who?

Ps Is it just me, or was Ehab less of an A-hole in the recent interview?